We’re very grateful for the kind support from Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food Scheme and Sheepdrove Organic Farm for pilot funding and ongoing support.

Local Food is a £50 million programme distributing grants to a variety of food-related projects which will help make locally grown food accessible to local communities.Local Food has been developed by a consortium of organisations and is managed on their behalf by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT).The Master Gardener programme is a Beacon Grant by Local Food, part of the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme.

Sheepdrove Trustsupports initiatives involving sustainability, biodiversity and organic farming.It was formed by the original founders of the Dorling Kindersley publishing empire, who also manage Sheepdrove Organic Farm that is renowned for great organic food, eco-friendly farming and excellent animal welfare.The farm now has its own eco conference centre, a great range of organic produce, on-site chicken processing, family butcher’s shops in London and Bristol, and home delivery across the UK.

St Mathew Bloxham vegetable garden
Posted on 6 July 2015
I have been making a vegetable garden for the School .All the beds are now up,filled with soil, and rocket early potatoes and Sutton broad beans planted. There are two beds for str...

Growing at MIND Hub
Posted on 6 July 2015
This project, delivered at Rugby Wellbeing Hub with the Master Gardeners, John and Sandy Young, commenced in the middle of March. From the outset there was enthusiasm and involve...

St Mathew Bloxham vegetable garden
Posted on 28 April 2015
I have been making a vegetable garden for the School .All the beds are now up,filled with soil, and rocket early potatoes and Sutton broad beans planted. There are two beds for str...

Barbecue at Conway House
Posted on 27 July 2015
Sapphire Housing (Conway House) organised a summer barbecue in May to celebrate the work of volunteers at the hostel including Master Gardeners. Co-ordinator Liza attended and met ...

Sep 12th: Cumberland Market Community Festival
Posted on 20 July 2015
Cumberland Market annual community festival is on Saturday 12th September. Sport and healthy activities and family fun – come and say hello at the Master Gardener stall. Cumb...

Aug 13th: Family Fun Day
Posted on 20 July 2015
Family fun afternoon at Sidings Community Centre, 150 Brassey Road, London NW6 2BA on Thursday 13th August 2015, 12:00 – 4pm. The theme is health and healthy living, there will b...

Fiona Law
Posted on 19 February 2014
As the programme comes to a pause I thought I’d do a final case study on myself, before I move on. I’ve been involved in the South London Master Gardener programme sinc...

Extra Training Day – February
Posted on 12 February 2014
It was a most convivial and cheery gathering of the South London Master Gardeners, but just a little poignant. This was the last of the meetings under our Local Food funding. No ma...

Master Gardeners – with distinction
Posted on 12 February 2014
13 of our April 2013 cohort of MGs have been awarded the status of Master Gardener with Distiction. They’ve successfully supported communities to grow their own food, and met...

August in the Garden
Posted on 1 August 2015
Silly as it sounds, this is the month when I start to get ready for autumn. At the start of the month I go around the garden looking at all the plants that may not make it through ...

Blooming with Brown Bins
Posted on 29 July 2015
Summer time can be a busy time of year, especially in your garden, and the last thing you want to be thinking about is taking your excess garden waste down to the nearest recycling...

Blueberries, some finer points!
Posted on 28 July 2015
The question was. “Why have the ends of my blueberries started to die?” The quick answer is canker, which is a fungal infection, of which there are several types that a...

Allotment 17b
Posted on 11 July 2015
I keep an allotment blog and write a regular column for Spalding Free Press and Guardian. You can check out both here https://theshed1.wordpress.com/my-art-horticulture-monthly-all...

Jam Making!
Posted on 10 July 2015
It seems to be a bumper year for fruit; I’ve never had such a large crop of strawberries, gooseberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants on my allotment. I love jam making and i...

Nov 18th: Billinghay Live Well
Posted on 9 July 2015
A closed group interactive session exploring some of the reasons to grow your own, to compost and the basics of how to begin. Educational games and practical growing sessions will ...

Aug 12th: 999 Gala day Skegness
Posted on 9 July 2015
This is a gala day that is an annual event in Skegness. The health team will be there offering some Health checks and advice and I will be there doing a mixture of some cooking and...

Small back garden update: July
Posted on 21 July 2015
The recent heatwave, rain and humidity helped moved things along in my small back garden vegetable patch. The runner beans have shot up to the top of the canes (as have the blackfl...

11th October, Brocks Hill Visitor Centre Food Fair
Posted on 14 July 2015
Is it really a year since our Master Gardeners first ran a stall at the Brocks Hill Food Fair? Time has flown in our first year and here we are again, offering support and advice...

31st August, Leicester Old Town Food Fair
Posted on 14 July 2015
Come along to the Leicester Old Town Food Fair near the Guildhall, sample lots of local goodies and then go home to have a go at growing your own with support from the Leicestershi...

Welcome to Somerset Master Gardeners
Posted on 21 November 2012
Garden Organic is delighted to announce our partnership with Somerset Community Food to support volunteer ‘Master Gardeners’ to help communities grow their own f...

A fresh start
Posted on 11 November 2014
Trying to beat a drug addiction is a huge challenge. Trying to detox whilst serving a prison sentence can be even more complex. But sometimes the simple things in life can h...

Impacts of Master Gardeners – Health case studies
Posted on 8 December 2013
Our health outcomes show the physical and mental benefits for people that start and continue growing their own food with the support of a Garden Organic Master Gardener. The benefi...

Impacts of Master Gardeners – Social case studies
Posted on 8 December 2013
Our social outcomes show benefits to individuals and communities by getting involved with the Garden Organic Master Gardener Programme. Many people have reported many changes. For ...